Maledicti
by Shiny Bachuru
Summary: A lonely king. A cursed servant. From their first meeting, the pharaoh knew that they shared a special connection. Despite the inevitable feelings that bloom between them, the servant has a deadly secret. And no matter how hard he tries, the servant cannot escape his fate...
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

In ancient times, when the Pyramids were still young, there lived a prince. His destiny was to become the next Pharaoh, after his father. The prince had wealth, power, looks, everything anyone could ask for. To many, the prince had a life people would kill for. And yet, for all the luxuries he had, he was almost never allowed outside the palace walls. A stroll into the city was a rare treat, but it was only allowed under the supervision of palace guards. Everywhere he went, people dropped to their knees and bowed so lowly that their foreheads touched the ground if he so much as looked in their direction.

It was during one of these city strolls that he met a girl named Mana. She was a scrawny thing, her clothes hanging off her frame in tatters and showing blatant signs of malnourishment. And yet, the prince couldn't explain why he decided to take her back to the palace. The guards, who had protested at first, fell silent at the fierce look the prince had given them. After all, the prince was to rule Egypt one day and his word was law.

Mana, as it turned out, was a bright and vivacious girl, always getting into all sort of mischief. She frequently pulled pranks on the guards and stole food from the kitchens, but it was never done with ill intent. The prince liked her immediately and they became fast friends. She was the only one who didn't treat him as if he was someone to be feared. Rather, she was often blunt to the point of rudeness, but the prince wouldn't have it any other way. She made him feel like the weight of his duty was being lifted from his shoulders. It was alright to be a kid again, just for a little while. And for a time, the prince was happy.

Then the pharaoh, beloved ruler of his people, died and left his only son behind. A son who suddenly had to take up the mantle because he had to, and in a way he never would have expected. And so, at only thirteen years old, Prince Atemu was crowned the new pharaoh.

Mana caught the attention of a great and powerful magician and became an apprentice magician shortly after Atemu's coronation. Her lessons kept her so busy that she never had time to pay a visit to her best friend.

Atemu was all alone.

The role of a pharaoh was not an easy one. He had his royal court to help him, but even so, there was plenty of work to be done, nobles to meet with, problems to be addressed. Too often, he worked into the late hours of the night, only to repeat the same process in the morning. He had his doubts about his ability to rule over an entire kingdom. What if he led his people to ruin? What if he was assassinated? How could he ever compare to his father, whose rule had been prosperous? Alas, he could not voice his concerns to anyone, for a pharaoh had to be strong. He was to show no fear, no hesitation, for he was a god in human form. Before long, Atemu began to crave a companion. Someone he could talk to without being judged. Someone who would see the man behind the crown and not the god...

In the distant land of Hyksos, a young woman gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Since this woman served directly under the king, her son would in turn serve the princess. She named this baby Heba.

Heba was a slight oddity. He rarely cried, even as a baby, nor did he play with the other servant children. He preferred to play on his own, though the princess often demanded that he spend time with her and attend to her needs. He was always a quiet child, only speaking when spoken to. He was the very essence of what a good and faithful servant should be, something that delighted the princess to no end. In the beginning, he and the princess got along rather well. She would ask him to do something, and he would carry out her wish, no matter how ridiculous. But as Heba grew older, the princess began to realize that Heba was no longer just a cute and harmless accessory. He was beautiful, so much that his beauty far surpassed her own. And the princess, who was used to being the best in everything she did, began to resent her former playmate. In her jealousy and fury, she banished anyone who might have been connected to Heba, including his mother. To add insult to injury, she forced him to don a white cloak that covered his entire body and repeatedly told him that she was doing this for his own good. He was a hideous creature, and it would be unwise to let anyone see him, lest they mistake him from a demon from the underworld. The people who had known Heba were all gone or dead, and those that remained called him a monster in human skin, for the princess was skilled in spreading foul rumors.

After a while, Heba began to believe it himself.

Heba was used to being alone, but he'd never experienced anything like this. The servants openly mocked him and the princess did nothing to silence them. And the princess, who had once been so kind to him, treated him like he was lower than the dirt underneath her slippers.

Some time later, the princess heard of an abandoned village not far from her father's kingdom. Rumor had it that dead spirits inhabited the village, bringing death and despair to anyone who dared to venture into it. She saw this as a perfect opportunity to rid herself of her servant without anyone asking any questions. His death would be a "tragic accident." No one would know better. So, under the cover of night, she took her unwitting servant to the abandoned village. She ordered him to go inside the village and to not come out unless she told him to. The servant, whose senses alerted him to the immense evil saturating the place, was reluctant to do as he was told. Only after the princess threatened to execute him if he did not obey did he comply with her wishes.

Alas, death would have been preferable compared to what happened to him...

~o~o~

**A/N: **I decided to give this story a try again. Yes, it's stupidly short, but I'll make the other chapters longer. Drop a review, if you would be so kind. They make me write faster. Reviews are the best motivators a writer has, trust me.

**Next chapter: Principium**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Gee, you guys really made my day with the reviews and the faves and follows and stuff. Thank you to all who reviewed and took the time to give this story a chance.

**Chapter One: **Principium

The dry season had just begun when the pharaoh first got a glimpse of the servant. The day had been rough, problems had to be taken care of, and more importantly, this was the day that the princess of Hyksos would arrive to their kingdom. If all went well, she would be the new Queen. Their marriage would be used to secure an alliance with the kingdom of Hyksos. Atemu's court had assured him that she would be a fine match for him. Her beauty was unheard of, a true desert flower.

Atemu supposed this was the price of royalty. He didn't have the option of choosing his bride; one was picked out for him, seeing as he was an only child. His father had also been an only child and had had to search for a potential bride from another royal line. One was eventually found for him and they eventually grew to love each other. Atemu didn't consider his father an unfortunate man. While he understood his duty to his kingdom and his people, a small part of him held on to that childish fantasy of finding someone who would love him for the man he was. Not his crown or title.

"It's nearly sundown! Where is that girl? She should have been here long ago."

"...brought only one measly servant with her, the foolish girl. Hasn't she learned that bandits lurk near the outer villages?"

"Perhaps she underestimated the dangers and felt no need to bring extra protection. That is most unwise..."

Atemu was brought out of his musings by the continued bickering of his court. Their voices were steadily rising in volume and if this kept up, Atemu knew he would have a headache later on.

"We should send out a search party to look for her. If she turns up dead, our tentative peace with Hyksos will be for naught! We cannot afford another war. Perhaps we should-"

"ENOUGH!" Atemu had had it with their petty squabbles. The court's bickering immediately ceased in the face of their king's anger. "The princess has until sundown to make an appearance. If she does not..." Here, he trailed off as a slave cleared his throat from the doorway. He looked harried, and out of breath as he bowed lowly.

"You may rise," Atemu commanded regally. If the slave had interrupted their meeting for something trivial and not related to the princess's arrival, there would be hell to pay...

"The princess has arrived, Great Pharaoh," the slave said meekly. "She is waiting in the outer courtyard."

Atemu nodded. "Very well. Escort her inside. Her room has been prepared, I take it?"

"Yes, Great Pharaoh. We have also prepared a great feast to honor her arrival."

"Good. You are dismissed."

The quivering slave bowed once more before walking out of the throne room. A few moments later, a young woman entered the room. The royal court had not exaggerated her beauty. Slim, graceful, a willowy figure with soulful eyes the color of honey, Princess Anzu of Hyksos definitely lived up to her reputation. Atemu find himself regarding her with some interest. This was a woman he would not mind having as his queen. Beside him, he saw Siamun nodding his head slightly in approval.

"Princess Anzu?"

She smiled and gave a deep bow, which Atemu acknowledged with a nod. "It is an honor to finally meet you, Great Pharaoh. I deeply apologize for not arriving sooner, but we ran into bandits as we were entering the city."

There were sounds of shock and concern from his court. Atemu merely frowned. "I have heard from my informants that you brought only one servant with you. How was it that you escaped with nary a scratch?"

"I assure you, Great Pharaoh, my servant is much more capable than he appears. But the journey has been long and taxing for us. Is there a room available for us?"

"Of course. A slave will guide you to your sleeping quarters. I trust you will join me for dinner a bit later?"

Anzu nodded. "I look forward to it." She bowed once more before exiting the room. As she approached the doorway, however, Atemu's eyes were drawn to a robed figure standing just outside. If the figure had not been wearing white, Atemu would never have noticed him at all. His hood was drawn, making it impossible to see his face.

As if he sensed someone staring, the hooded figure's head rose. Even though Atemu couldn't see his face, he was absolutely sure that the servant was looking straight at him. From beside him, he saw Seth go rigid with tension. The rest of the court followed suit not long afterward and Atemu was confused as to why until he felt an unnatural chill wash over him. When the servant turned away and followed his mistress outside, the chill seemed to fade.

"What in the name of Ra was that?" Atemu has never felt anything of the sort before. Whatever it was, it had felt horribly cold, like a malevolent being was watching their every move.

"There is evil magic in the air," Isis replied, a worried frown on her face. "It disappeared too quickly for me to track it, but it was definitely there. We must be cautious from now on."

"I agree. Whatever it is, it would definitely make an attempt on your life." Mahaado shuddered. "Perhaps we should see to posting additional guards near your room, my king."

"No. It would draw too much attention," Atemu said, his eyebrows knitting together in contemplation. "Whatever it was, I am sure we can handle it on our own. I think it would be best if each of us were to investigate this privately. If any of us finds anything of importance, we are to report it in the next meeting."

There was a chorus of "Yes, my king" before the royal court departed the room.

* * *

Dinner was an awkward affair. Atemu's gaze could not stop straying to the servant standing behind the princess. A servant was only a servant, and yet he was curious as to why he was covered up in this heat. The poor fellow was probably roasting! Didn't the princess realize that her servant was no good to her if he collapsed from heat exhaustion?

A clearing of a throat brought Atemu back to his senses. Had he been any other man, he would have flushed with embarrassment at how everyone was looking at him. Why, he had not even taken in a word the princess was saying to him! He looked around, looking for someone to come to his aid, but it was the princess who spoke next.

"You are wondering why my servant is covered up the way he is?" She was smiling at him, not unkindly and Atemu wondered if he was going to get out of this with his dignity intact.

"I...yes?"

The princess only chuckled. "Do not worry, my pharaoh. It is the same wherever he goes. My servant is rather shy around strangers and prefers to hide his face so that no one will look at him. Ironically, this seems to have the opposite effect on people. It is merely an odd trait he has."

The servant made an odd motion, as if he wanted to say something, but he quickly retreated with a swift look from the princess. "You do not have permission to speak, boy. A good servant is seen and not heard, you understand?"

The servant seemed to hesitate before he nodded in acquiescence. Nobody paid him any attention.

Atemu made an effort to listen to the conversations taking place around him, but a niggling feeling in the back of his mind often made him glance at the white-clad servant. His head was bowed, but he occasionally looked at the table, as if he was waiting for something. Not once did he look in Atemu's direction and the pharaoh found himself oddly disappointed when dinner was over.

He faintly heard Siamun showing the princess to her room, but he was more preoccupied with the mountain of work he had to do. It was going to be another sleepless night for him. But when he returned to his chambers, he got very little work done. He did not have to think very hard to discover the source of his lack of concentration. It always came back to that blasted boy. What was so special about him, Atemu wondered. He was just a servant, nothing more. If anything, he needed to focus more on his prospect of marriage.

He couldn't concentrate. He needed a walk to clear his head. He did not need a migraine on top of everything he had to do. Atemu stood up and left his royal chambers, fully intending to relax in his gardens. Halfway there, however, he heard a slight shuffling noise. Atemu frowned. Who could be up and about on this late hour, besides the guards? And speaking of the guards...Atemu could see none at the moment. He would have to dock their pay for being so lax.

"Who goes there?"

The shuffling immediately stopped. After a moment's pause, a head peeked out from behind a stone statue. Atemu felt himself relax; when had he become tense?

It was the boy from before. Up close, he did not seem so intimidating or mysterious. In fact, Atemu noticed that he was a bit shorter than he was. Still, Atemu couldn't help but be on his guard. Didn't the princess say that the boy had taken out a gang of bandits by himself?

"What are you doing here?" Atemu barked. "Do you not have a princess to guard? Why are you here, instead of doing your job?"

The servant flinched at Atemu's harsh tone, but he did not back down entirely. He stepped out from behind the statue, though he did not come any closer.

Atemu's chin lifted in annoyance. "Speak. I shall not have you waste my time."

The boy looked up, startled. "I...I'm sorry! I...I got lost."

Atemu blinked. The boy's voice was much lower than he had expected, yet still pleasing to the ear. Still, the boy's answer was less than desirable. "Lost, you say? Pray tell, where exactly were you headed at this late hour?"

The boy looked downward and Atemu's eyes narrowed in suspicion. If the boy lied to him, there would be dire consequences. He mumbled something, but it was too soft for Atemu to hear.

"What was that? You need to speak louder if I am to hear you."

The servant fidgeted for some time before he spoke again. "I was looking for the kitchens."

Atemu's eyebrow rose in skepticism. "The kitchens."

The boy nodded. "I'm...hungry." To prove his point, the boy's stomach gave a rather loud grumble and he clutched it in embarrassment.

"Were you not provided with nourishment upon your arrival? Surely, you must have eaten something."

The servant shook his head. "No. It was my punishment for wanting to speak out of turn."

Atemu sighed. This night was proving to be a long one. "You will wait here until I return? There should still be something suitable for you to eat."

"That's fine. I don't think I would have found the kitchens on my own, anyway. Your palace is like a maze!"

Atemu chuckled. "It does take some getting used to. Now sit. And wait until my return."

* * *

If Atemu were honest with himself, he would not have expected the boy to still be waiting for him. The boy stood up and gasped at the amount of food Atemu had. To the pharaoh, it was not much, but the boy acted as if he had brought a feast.

"Oh...is this all for me?" At the boy's question, all of Atemu's suspicion went out the proverbial window. This was simply a boy who was, by the look of things, starving. He had seen the same sort of behavior from the beggars in the outskirts of the city. The disbelief of the chronically hungry.

Atemu found this somewhat odd. If the boy served directly under the princess, he was naturally supposed to have a more comfortable lifestyle than the common slave. But the boy ate as if it was the last food he was going to see in a while. When he was finished, he knelt into a deep bow.

"Thank you so much, pharaoh! That was really generous of you!" The boy stood up, but in his haste, the hood fell back, revealing his smiling face.

Atemu's mouth went dry. The boy was _beautiful._ There was no other word to describe him. Was this what the boy had been hiding? Why, the princess seemed like a mere peasant compared to him! The resemblance to him was uncanny, yet there were differences that made the boy entirely his own person. His skin color was light, much lighter than Atemu's shade of bronze. His hair stuck up in all directions, a mirror of Atemu's own voluminous mess of spikes, but his hair seemed to shine in an odd violet color as opposed to red. And his eyes...there were like glittering purple jewels, framed with the longest eyelashes Atemu had ever seen on a man.

The boy did not seem to notice that his face was exposed. His smile faded slightly and a confused look took its place. "Is there something wrong?"

Atemu took slightly staggering steps toward the boy until they were mere inches apart. "How...?" He reached out and lightly touched the boy's cheek.

Too late Atemu realized his mistake. The boy let out a gasp so shrill that Atemu's hand jerked back in surprise. Atemu watched in stunned silence as the boy hastily covered himself once more. And before Atemu could move, the boy turned and ran.

"Little one, wait!" But the boy had already vanished from sight. Growling, the pharaoh gave chase. He could hear the boy's footsteps thudding against the floor before they stopped altogether. Atemu knew that the boy had run into a dead end. He found him in the next hallway, searching desperately for another way out, but the only way was through Atemu. When the boy heard Atemu's footsteps nearing him, he whirled around in a state of panic. He was pressed flat against the wall, looking like he wanted nothing more than to disappear. The closer Atemu got, the more he whimpered. Noticing this, Atemu halted his advance.

"Little one, please. I mean you no harm. I only wanted to talk."

The boy shook his head frantically. "You can't fool me! That's what everyone else said before they..." His voice trailed off as a shudder wracked through his body.

Atemu's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?" He took a few steps closer, but this only seemed to drive the servant wild with fear.

"No! Stay away!"

"Little one, really! You will wake up everyone in the palace with all the noise you are making." Atemu extended his hand, but just then, an unnatural chill settled over his senses, instantly making him on high alert. He looked around for the source, but just as last time, it vanished before Atemu could get a good read on it. To his utter astonishment, the boy had seemingly vanished as well.

Atemu wanted to howl in frustration. Had the boy been merely a figment of his imagination? Or was he really losing his mind? Perhaps he needed some well-earned sleep...but the boy, the _boy..._

Just who was he, really? Atemu had never seen anyone so beautiful. Atemu would be lying if he said that he wasn't utterly captivated by the young man. He needed to find a way of getting the boy alone. Perhaps then, he would find out for sure what he had seen.

* * *

**A/N: **Don't freak out, it's just me going back and fixing some errors. I'm in desperate need of a beta. Really, two sets of eyes are better than one! Also, leave a review, if you would be so kind. Until next time, kiddies.

**Next chapter: Conturbatio**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **A wild chapter has appeared! What will you do?

Lame Pokemon jokes aside, I'm so sorry for how long this update took. I've got tons of excuses, but you don't want to hear those, now do you? On with the story!

**Chapter Two: **Conturbatio

That was the second time it had happened. It had started in the throne room when he'd made the stupid mistake of looking at the pharaoh. Why did he even look at him, anyway? The pharaoh was certainly good-looking, but the amount of gold on his person, combined with the magnificent crown on his head, made the servant feel like the pharaoh was of another, more heavenly species entirely. He wondered if anyone had noticed the temperature drop. Anzu certainly didn't, but then again, she hardly ever noticed anything other than herself these days. She had been too excited about the prospect of marrying the pharaoh of Egypt.

The servant let out a long sigh. It always came down to the pharaoh, didn't it? The pharaoh, whom he had heard so many rumors about since he was a child, the one who had dared to touch him that previous night. Why had he done such a thing? He was repulsive, wasn't he? Anzu had repeatedly told him, and Anzu never lied about things like that.

...Did she?

There was something rattling around inside his chest, but he ignored it. He was probably coming down with some sort of sickness again. At least, Anzu never knew that he had crept out of her room without permission the other night. Ra knows what an epic _disaster _that would have been. If Anzu somehow learned that he had actually spoken with the ruler of Egypt, he would be beaten so severely that he wouldn't be able to move. But then again, Anzu was not an unkind mistress. She was strict, incredibly so, but she was fair.

Of course, his late-night excursion needed to be kept under wraps, but it really didn't help that the pharaoh would _not stop staring._ Why couldn't he look at something else for a change, like the lotus flowers! He would blow his cover if he kept this up!

"Pharaoh, what is the matter? Pardon me for saying this, but you seem to be rather preoccupied with something." So she had already noticed. The servant inwardly cursed Anzu for being so perceptive.

"There are many things on my mind. Is it not natural to be concerned for the well-being of one's kingdom?" Nice recovery.

The princess, however, was not to be distracted. "I have noticed that you have not taken your eyes off him since this morning. Has he offended you in any way, my king? I can send him away, if you so desire." Yes, please let him go somewhere else so that the pharaoh wouldn't be able to look at him anymore. It was starting to become somewhat irritating.

"No. It is fine, princess. Let us continue our walk." Damn it.

"Actually, I am feeling rather parched. It is unusually warm, is it not? Do you have refreshments?"

"Yes. There should be some wine in the kitchens."

"Oh, that sounds lovely!" When the princess turned to him, her tone went from light and breathy to sharp in an instant and the servant knew what was coming next. "Boy! Did you not hear? Fetch me a drink at once!"

Gladly. "Yes, princess. Right away." He turned to leave, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned around in confusion to find the pharaoh looking at him with a glint in his eye.

"Perhaps I should go with him. If I recall correctly, the little one had trouble finding the way to the kitchens last night."

The servant blanched as Anzu's eyes flashed dangerously. "I beg your pardon?" Oh Gods, he was in for it now...

The pharaoh, unfortunately didn't seem to notice that he'd just landed him in hot water. "Oh come now, princess! The boy was only looking for a snack. Even you cannot choose the time when your body requires sustenance." The hand on his shoulder tightened as he was led away, leaving a furious princess standing alone among the flowers. The glare she sent his way was almost physically painful...

They had been walking in an uncomfortable silence for some time before the pharaoh spoke. "So..."

The servant would have dearly loved to say, "So, what?" but that would most likely offend the young monarch. He decided to say nothing for the moment.

"I have been meaning to talk to you alone since the previous night. I had been thinking up ways to get you away from your mistress all morning." When the servant did not respond, the pharaoh sighed and stopped walking. "Are you angry with me? Is that why you will not say anything?"

The servant blinked and finally looked his way. Why on earth would the _almighty _pharaoh care if he was angry? He was a living god, while he...he was nothing compared to him.

"Please...talk to me, little one..."

He flinched. "I shouldn't keep the princess waiting, or she will reprimand me yet again." He turned to leave, but a hand on his wrist prevented him from taking another step. He looked back in surprise to find the pharaoh staring at him with such an intense look on his face that made him feel grateful that he could not see him under his hood.

"So you are going to leave without giving me your name? If you will not give me that, then at least let me see your face before we part ways. It is only proper to lower one's hood in front of royalty."

The servant hesitated. He couldn't refuse a direct order from the pharaoh himself. To do so would reflect badly on the princess and her kingdom. With a heavy sigh, he finally, _finally_ removed the hood covering his face. He thought he heard the pharaoh's breath catch in his throat, but he wasn't certain. He couldn't look at him, so he settled for staring at a point on the ground.

A finger under his chin startled him. The servant tensed, his body automatically preparing itself to run, but he was suddenly crushed against a strong chest.

"I let you slip through my fingers once. And by Ra, I will not make the same mistake again."

The servant's first reaction was to try and push the other away, but the pharaoh's grip was like steel. He made a few vigorous attempts to free himself, but gave up upon seeing that he wasn't going anywhere without the pharaoh's consent.

"...If I tell you my name, will you let me go?" The servant didn't understand why this was so important to the pharaoh. He supposed the young royal had some odd quirk or something.

"Perhaps. But I will not make any promises that I will not seek you out again."

The servant barely restrained the urge to heave a sigh of frustration. Really, now the pharaoh was just being stubborn. Still, the pharaoh had free reign to do whatever he pleased, so there was no way he could stop him.

"Heba."

The pharaoh's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"That's my name. It's what you wanted, isn't it?" The servant squirmed uncomfortably, well-aware that he was still wrapped in a close embrace. Unfortunately for him, the pharaoh didn't seem to get the message. Instead, a hand found its way into his hair, massaging his scalp gently.

Heba blinked, confused. "What are you doing?"

He felt more than heard the pharaoh chuckle, being so close to him. "I did say I was not about to let you go, little one."

Heba's cheeks flushed a brilliant shade of red. "What?! But...!"

Fortunately or unfortunately for him, there was a soft clearing of a throat from behind him. He felt the pharaoh release him, albeit reluctantly. His moment of relief was shattered when he turned around and saw the princess herself standing there. Her expression looked blank and carefully controlled to the untrained eye, but her eyes promised pain, and lots of it.

_Well, it's not like you don't deserve it..._

How could he have been so stupid? Of _course_ Anzu would follow him. And the princess as good as laid a claim to the pharaoh, which meant he was off-limits to anyone, _especially_ Heba. It wasn't like Heba was interested in the first place, but after walking in on _that_? What else was she supposed to think? The servant inwardly cursed his own luck. He always seemed to wind up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Hello, princess," Heba mumbled. A second later, he mentally slapped himself. It was bad enough that she had found him in the pharaoh's arms, but he had blatantly disregarded her orders that his face remain hidden at all costs. He could have told the pharaoh that he was truly sorry, but that he had his orders from the princess. Why couldn't he have been more adamant? Stupid, stupid, _stupid_!

"Hello, boy. I see you have made a friend. That is all well and good, but do you remember our little talk?" Anzu's voice was sickeningly sweet, like poisoned honey. "Perhaps later, I shall give you a refresher. I shall expect you in my quarters by sunset. Do not be late."

Heba's insides turned to ice. "Refresher, princess...?"

Anzu smiled at him. "Of course. I do not think the message has...sunk in enough. Therefore, a lesson must be learned. Do you understand?"

Heba gulped, his face losing its color. "Yes, princess." He turned away and slowly walked away, trying not to think about the tremor in his hands or how much he was going to be hurting later on.

~o~

Atemu knew something was wrong the instant he saw Heba's stricken expression. The poor boy was practically shivering with fright. Perhaps he had been too hasty. But he couldn't...he couldn't...

_I just cannot stop myself..._

For appearance's sake, he made no comment about the princess's treatment of her servant. He was her property, after all, and she had every right to do with it as she pleased.

_But why...does it feel so wrong to call him that?_

Was it because he was so endearing with his apparent shyness, or the fact that his name was just as exquisite as he was? He nearly reached out to pull the servant back to him when the boy left, but that would probably make his punishment even worse. He forced himself to continue talking to the princess like nothing had happened, and she seemed somewhat mollified by this. The servant was never brought up again.

~o~

Dinner was rather uneventful. The servant, however, was nowhere to be found, so Atemu assumed the boy made himself scarce for the time being. He felt horrible for thinking that whatever sort of punishment the princess gave him, she would not mar the boy's natural beauty. It would be a shame and a waste.

Still, it was not as if people with exceptional beauty couldn't be replaced. They could be found, if you looked hard enough. The only problem Atemu had with this was that he felt that no one would ever match the servant.

Perhaps he could take the boy to his bed? It was common for the heirs of neighboring kingdoms to lend their servants in a gesture of goodwill. So why restrain himself?

The pharaoh was just preparing himself to go to sleep when he heard it. The sound of an impact, followed by an agonized scream. Granted, it was quite faint, but he still heard it nonetheless. After the third scream, it was cut off abruptly, but Atemu knew exactly who that voice belonged to. He might have heard it only briefly, but there was no mistaking the servant's pain-filled shrieks. His heart felt heavy at the implication that he might have been the one to land the boy in that position, but there was simply nothing he could do about it. Property was property, after all.

Even so, the boy's screams haunted him for the rest of the night.

~o~

The next morning, it was eerily quiet. Atemu went about his usual business with the court, then put aside some of his time for the princess. She seemed happier than the day before, but Atemu did not question it. Instead, he inwardly reminded himself of what she came here for. To secure an alliance with his kingdom through marriage. He had been doing a poor job of showing interest in her, but he was determined to make up for it now. He answered her questions about his kingdom, asked her some questions of his own, and spent a generally pleasant afternoon in her company.

It wasn't until Atemu had finished eating dinner when he saw him. He was sitting on the floor behind one of the statues next to the entrance of the dining room. Whatever Atemu expected to see, it was not that of a healthy Heba with no visible wounds. He was doing something rather odd. He had an open satchel full of different colored seeds. He appeared to be picking them all out, one by one. He was so absorbed in this that he did not even notice the pharaoh standing right in front of him.

"Heba?"

The servant jumped, but he did not look up from his work. If anything, he worked even faster. It was a long while before he spoke.

"Greetings, pharaoh."

Atemu cleared his throat uncertainly. The boy's voice was flat, almost cold. Still, he had to make sure the other was all right. "Are you feeling well?"

"I've been better."

The young monarch's eyebrows furrowed in concern. That much was certainly true. In fact, the boy was perspiring somewhat and when Atemu looked closely, he could just make out a flush to the boy's cheeks. He placed a hand on the boy's back and was startled when Heba let out a pained yelp.

"Ouch! Could you please not touch that?" Unfortunately for the servant, the hand on his back caused him to jolt forward, spilling all the seeds in the satchel. He took one look at them and sighed heavily. "Great. Now look what you made me do." With an angry huff, he hastily gathered his seeds and stood up.

"Little one, what is going on?" Atemu didn't know what he did to warrant such a cold rebuff. He was only worried after all. And the boy's reaction to touch only confirmed his suspicions. The boy was burning up and Atemu had no doubt it was because of an infected wound. How he was up and about was beyond him, but Atemu would not let him continue like this.

"I'm fine. Just a little sore. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get going." A hand on his wrist stopped him and the boy turned his furious gaze upon the pharaoh. "Is this going to become a habit of yours? Not letting me go anywhere?"

"You are injured. If you do not allow yourself to receive proper treatment, there will be dire consequences. You must see Isis immediately."

Heba wrenched his arm from the pharaoh's grip. "And I told you I'm fine. I've put up with stuff worse than this. Just leave me alone. You're just going to get me in trouble again."

"Little one, wait!"

But Heba was already gone.

~o~

_The morning after his punishment, Heba lay on the ground, too wracked with pain to even move. His back felt like it was on fire and he had no idea how much blood he had lost. His throat hurt, likely due to all that screaming the night before. Anzu had been particularly vicious that night. She did not stop even after the pain became too much to bear and he lost consciousness. But he was alive...maybe not entirely in one piece, but still._

_In the early hours of the morning, he became aware that he was growing too hot. Heba frowned slightly, aware that he was coming down with a fever. He was going to have to find a way to take care of that soon. Anzu did not accept excuses. You served her with everything you had, and the only reason you had to skive off work was because you were dead. If he told Anzu that it was too painful to move, she would laugh in his face and tell him that he wouldn't be in pain if he had followed orders. It was that simple._

_A few satchels landing a few inches from his face caught his attention. Anzu was awake, and staring down at him with a disgusted look on her face. No doubt he looked a fright and smelled worse._

"_Clean yourself up. When you are finished with that, I have a task that will undoubtedly keep you busy. This satchel contains three different types of seeds. You are to sort these seeds into their three respective colors. Not only that, but you must be able to tell me how many seeds there are in each color. If you are wrong, I will take all of the seeds, mix them up, and you will start all over again. You have until sunset. If you fail, I will punish you again and assign you a different task. Do you understand?"_

_Heba's face slackened in horror. This...this was _useless _work! Anzu's punishments usually consisted of a beating, followed by a random chore for the day. But this...there was nothing productive or meaningful about this! To be beaten within an inch of his life, only to be humiliated right after...by the Gods, what had he _done?

_As Anzu left her chamber, Heba's thoughts strayed to the pharaoh. Just thinking about him made his insides burn with anger. It was that stupid ruler's fault that he was in trouble! Maybe if he had kept his hands to himself, he wouldn't be in this mess!_

_Heba slowly dragged himself to a sitting position. Each movement was agony. Slowly though, he managed to stand up. He frowned slightly. Either he had become used to Anzu's punishments or it did not hurt as it used to. In fact, he was feeling better the longer he was awake._

_A little unnerved, but deciding not to question it, Heba chose a spot behind a random statue and set to work._

_Heba never noticed the drop in temperature, nor did he notice the black tendrils caressing his body almost lovingly._

~o~

**A/N: **Poor little Heba. He believes that if he screws something up, even if it's just a tiny thing, he deserves the worst punishment possible. He's got a rather twisted view of justice. That, or he's just stupid.

Leave a review, if you would be so kind. They make this author's heart swell with joy!

**Next chapter: ****Tenebris**


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